Michael Watson

At the end of the day, I know that the work that we do is literally changing the world and saving lives.

When Michael envisioned his career, he saw one in which he could point to something in the real world that he helped build and know that it changed people's lives for the better. Today, he's proud that this vision has come true. Michael develops technology to protect the airspace both in our nation's capital and along the nation's borders. His field of work presents pressing challenges, like how to develop algorithms that can identify aircraft. But these challenges make the job exciting, Michael says, and keep someone like him who enjoys staying busy always seeking the next hard problem. Part of his role as an assistant group leader is to work with government sponsors to identify these problems and lead staff in brainstorming technical solutions. Outside of work, Michael enjoys his downtime. "I give the Lab 100% when I am at work and I want to switch off completely when I go home. The Lab is very respectful of my personal time."